Hybrid electric, fully electric, fuel cell, and other fuel efficient vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. Electric and hybrid electric vehicles utilize high voltage battery packs or fuel cells that deliver direct current necessary to drive vehicle motors, electric traction systems and other vehicle systems. These vehicles use thick electric current connectors to deliver high power direct current from battery packs, fuel cells, or other power sources to electric motors and other electric devices and systems of the vehicle.
In addition, these vehicles typically include inverters to convert the direct current provided by such battery packs, fuel cells, or other power sources to alternating current for use by such electric motors and other electric devices and systems of the vehicle. However, it may be difficult to provide optimal cooling for such inverters and any components used in conjunction therewith that may require cooling, for example to avoid overheating. In addition, such inverters and components consume space and weight within the vehicle systems. Such space and weight can often be at a premium in today's hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, particularly with the increasing complexity and additional features often included in such vehicles. Moreover, manufacturing inverters and assemblies relating thereto can result in substantial time and monetary costs, for example as specialized tools are generally used to manufacture such inverter assemblies.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved inverter assemblies for vehicles, for example that provide improved cooling of the inverters and other components of the inverter assemblies. It also is desirable to provide improved inverter assemblies that potentially consume less space and/or weight in a vehicle. In addition, it is desirable to provide improved inverter assemblies that are potentially less costly to produce as compared to typical inverter assemblies for vehicles. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will be apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.